Inspirational Weekly Parsha Insights and anecdotes of Rabbi Schwartz and his never dull family as they acclimate and absorb into their new home in Karmiel Israel, having made Aliyah- August 2010

Karmiel

Our view of the Galile

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Old Spice- Ki Tisa 5774/2014

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

February 14th2014 -Volume 4, Issue 18-14thof Adar I 5774

Ki Tisa

Old Spice

I sat there on the bus from my yeshiva in Har Nof to the
Western Wall. (This goes back about 20 something years or so…Ouch it hurts even
to write that.) It was a long bus ride and I made myself comfortable. In front
of me sat two Israeli pre-teen agers and their giggling piqued my attention. Seemingly
they were laughing over a new purchase that one of them had made. Out comes the
surprise from that brown paper bag and lo and behold it was one of those speed
stick deodorants.Frankly, I never found
deodorant to be particularly humorous but it seems that these two girls had
never seen anything like this before in their lives. One of them started
rolling that stick up and they both found it to be absolutely hilarious. They
rolled it down again and just couldn't stop cracking up. Finally one of them
started to roll some on the side of the bus seat. The other one started
smelling it and they just found this so so funny. It was like they had
discovered America. I hope they eventually learned how to use it properly.
Welcome to civilization Israel.

I slowly began to understand how that
genius Israeli mind must have developed so many powerful weapons out of
nothing. Imagine what some aerosol cans of deodorant can do in the untrained
hand. I can just see two Israeli military minds unveiling their latest military
purchase; "Right Guard". "See eet says dees is dah right gard
to protect us from the Arabs with weeth." Walla…our arsenal is
complete.

I think back to that bus ride often. No, I don't mean when I am sitting next
to a passenger that hasn't discovered deodorant yet. I just move my seat in
those cases. I think about it when I travel around Israel and visit the ancient
bathhouses, hot springs or the beautiful streams and I talk to some of my
tourists about the bathing habits of the ancient world. It is hard to believe
or even imagine that baths were not a common occurrence. Washing oneself on a
regular basis was unheard of, certainly in the winter months before the advent
of personal showers and heated water. Sure there were rich noblemen that had
slaves prepare water for them. But until the advent of indoor plumbing in the
mid 19th century the world must have been a pretty smelly place. In
fact the Talmud tells us that when one would go to the bathhouse in ancient
times they would be prohibited from any strenuous activity, for it was deemed
dangerous to one's health. A bath was a full day affair. Steam baths, cold
water followed by hot water and of course a good massage and beating followed
by a dose of perfumes. There was no jump in the shower for two minutes, grab a
quick bar of soap and shampoo and head off to work. So people used to go only
very occasionally and in general were not too clean.

The Jewish people were of course always different. We were always a little
more meticulous about bathing. At least once a week for Shabbat and of course
regular mikva going as well. We are even commanded to wash our hands before a
meal and afterwards. So we always had a greater hygienic code than our gentile
neighbors. In fact some suggest that when the Black Plague hit during the
middle ages wiping out most of Europe, the Jews had an overwhelmingly lower
casualty rate than their filthy, smelly neighbors did. This of course gave them
an excuse to kill us with swords and pogroms instead. Not that they ever really
needed any major excuses. Yet although we were perhaps cleaner and maybe even
better smelling than our neighbors we certainly were a far cry from today's
western civilized world. I open up my bathroom cabinet and I imagine what my
great-grandparents and ancestors would have thought. Toothpaste, mouthwash,
Q-Tips, soap, conditioner, body wash, shampoo and some other stuff that my
teenage daughter uses that I still haven’t figured out what they are for
(shhh..my teen-age son as well-he's also a clean twice-a-day shower type of
kid). So we have advanced...right? At least in the way we smell… or don't. But
I think that they had some other things going for them that perhaps we
don't.Maybe it was the smell of the
Divine.

Which of course brings us to this week's Torah portion. See what I did. The
Torah portion which starts off with the collecting of the half-shekel coin for
the building of the Tabernacle-we'll save that for Parshat Shekalim- then
introduces the Parsha that primarily discusses the sin of the golden calf with
three interesting laws. The first being the making of the Kiyor, or
laver (does anyone know what that means? Why do they even bother translating it
into something no-one knows.) which is basically the large bathtub-like water
tub that the Kohein would wash and purify himself in before doing the
service. The second being the anointing oil that was mixed with spices (myrrh,
cinnamon aromatic spices and cassia (anyone??)) to anoint the Kohein and
all the vessels in the Temple with. Finally discussed as well, are the laws of
the making of the incense/the ketoret, which would be brought daily on
the special golden altar and in the holy of holies on Yom Kipppur by the Ark of
Covenant. Hmmm water, anointing oils, sweet smelling incense…wasn't that a
great intro? Not only mine, I mean, the Parsha's? What does all this have to do
with the Golden Calf?

It's even more interesting that at the end of last week's Torah portion,
which primarily discusses the making of the Priestly garments, already seems to
discuss the anointing oil and the making of the incense altar, as what seems to
be the conclusion of the discussion of the building of the tabernacle. Yet it
seems to go over it and elaborate about it again in this week's Parsha.

Truth is, out of all of the things in
the Tabernacle, the Ketoret/ incense perhaps gets the most coverage and
discussion. It is what will later be the cause of the death of Aharon's two
sons who bring it improperly. It becomes the source of contention and
eventually the challenge during the fight of Korach and his not-so-merry men. It
is also what Aharon uses to stop the plague that sweeps through the camp in the
aftermath of that fight. And of course of here once again it is mentioned as
the conclusion of the Tabernacle building and description.

On a more mystical level there is a tradition that the recitation of the Ketoret
portion and the ingredients and process that went into making it is a good omen
(segula) for wealth. In the times of the temple, the merit to prepare
the incense was done by lottery and could only be done once in one's life.
Rabbi Eli Mink suggests that the custom to recite the Ketoret daily in
our morning service before we recite our songs of praise (Psukei D'Zimra)
was because our prayers are in place of the offerings and the Ketores
was brought before the daily offering was brought. Even more fascinating he
writes that the custom to recite it a second time at the end of the prayer
service developed during a period when there were rampant plagues and it was
added to the service to halt the plagues. Today many in the Sefardic and
Chasidic communities have a tradition to recite the Ketoret verses
from an actual hand written scroll. In Ashkenazic communities the ruling
of the Rama was not to say it during the weekday, for fear that one might be in
a rush and by mistake leave out one of the spices in his recitation-which if it
is in place of the offering would not be such a good thing. Shabbos though
nobody's in a rush-(although from the amount of time people spend looking at
their watches during my sermons one would never know..:) and so we can recite
the Ketores from within our siddur with all the necessary concentration.

What is it about the Ketores that makes it so special? Rav Gedaliah
Schorr in his great work Ohr Gedalyahu writes that Ketores has 11 spices
within it. The 11th spice Chalbina, or as Rashi translates it
as Galbanum, was a putrid smelling spice. You know the no-deodorant kind. {*Incidentally,
fun Galbanum facts- it grows plentifully on the slopes of Iran, Must by
Cartier and Chanel 19 both use it in their perfumes. Hippocrates said it
was very curative, but a bit mixed with oil was would be enough to kill a snake.
Best of all, if it is steam distilled it smells like a fine malt-giving L'Chaim
on a beer new meaning}. This spice, Rashi quoting the Talmud tells us, was
included in order to teach us that even the sinners of Israel shall be counted
amongst us for prayers and supplications. For even the holy Ketores was
only complete with this spice. Rav Shorr thus suggests that this is in fact the
power of the incense; to bring together all the different parts of the Jewish
people into one heavenly aroma. The more skeptical commentaries suggest that we
have to have 10 good smelling spices for the 11th to have its power
as well. Meaning a Minyan of Kosher non-sinners, but between me and you where
are we gonnna find a group like that?

But regardless, the essence in fact
of the Tabernacle was "in order that they shall know that I am Hashem
their God who took them out of Egypt to dwell within them". The Mishkan
wasn't to serve God. It wasn't to bring offerings, and it wasn't to give a nice
cushy job to the Priests. The function of the Mishkan was for us to
recognize that there is Hashem residing in each and every Jew. The function of
the Mishkan was so that we could bring that heavenly Ketores,
that incredible incense, before Hashem that shows him that we recognize that
even the Chelbana has a holy aroma to it and can be brought before
Hashem. On a deeper level perhaps we are told that in the "original
sin" of Adam in the garden of Eden the sense of smell was the only one
that was un affected-that did not get tainted. The ears heard the temptation of
the Snake. The eyes saw the tree, the hands, plucked the fruit, the mouth
tasted. Only the sense of smell, the nose which Hashem had originally blown the
spirit of life; a piece of Himself in each of us, remains untainted and pure as
the day we were created. Talk about a Jewish noseJ.

The power of the Ketores to break the plague is that we remind Hashem and
ourselves that even after we sin we still have the Divine residing amongst us
when we join together with our fellow Jews. Together we smell terrific. We
smell Godly. Perhaps it is why the recitation of Ketores is also a tremendous
omen for wealth. For who is truly wealthy? Our sages tell us, he who is
satisfied with his lot. Once one recognizes that within him dwells the Divine
spirit. That Hashem is there amongst him even if he falls, even if he fails
than one can't help but be overwhelmed at the tremendous fortune he has. All is
from Hashem. There is no greater wealth.

It is perhaps why as well that this portion is the introduction to the story
of the golden calf, the portion called Ki Tisa, when you shall uplift
the Jewish people. For there was perhaps no greater sin and no greater falling
to take place in the history of our people than when 40 days after that
tremendous revelation at Sinai we, or at least a portion of our people, started
to sing and dance before a calf of gold who we declared as the new leader of
our people.A calf?! Made of gold?!
Really???! The sin, our sages suggest, came from the fact that we had thought
that it was only with Moshe, only with a leader that could go up the mountain,
could we ever communicate and connect with God. We didn't see Hashem within us.
We didn't believe any mortal could actually house the Divine. Who me? Hashem
within me? Can't be…can't be… so we created as supernatural being. But we were
wrong. We forgot that even the Chelbana can smell good and can bring a
heavenly smell before our Father in Heaven.

We may be a lot cleaner and smell a lot nicer today than our ancestors did.
We've got deodorants, body washes and all types of things to make us smell
nice. Yet perhaps we need to focus a little more on the holy smell that is
meant to emanate from us as well. Our forefathers in the times of the temple
would wake up each morning to the smell of the Ketoret. Our sages relate
that even the goats in Jericho would smell from the aroma of the Ketoret
and brides in Jerusalem had no need for perfume because the heavenly smell
permeated the air. They didn't need deodorant back then. Because if we smelled
good in heaven and we were all connected in the most spiritual and holy of
ways, appreciating the godliness found within each of us, than we smelled good
down here as well.

There is one last thing that I left out just in case any of you actually
cracks a chumash and reads the Parsha as well (always a good idea). The
last portion before the reading of the Golden Calf this week right after the
Ketores is a reiteration of the mitzvah of Shabbos. Shabbos as well fits with
this theme. For on Shabbos we truly experience the smell of Gan Eden;
the heavenly aroma of us returning once again each week to that Divine spark
and moment when we were created and through which we can be re-created anew.
Not to mention the aroma of the chulent (you need I had to get it inJ)).
May we soon merit to experience a time that everyday smells like Shabbos.

Have an aromatically blessed Shabbos!

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

**********************

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FOOT QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"Success is a great deodorant. It takes away
all your past smells. "- Elizabeth Taylor

"Common sense is like deodorant...The
people who need it most never use it. ".-Unknown

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL GEMATRIA OF THE WEEK

he end of the Parsha tells us that Moshe's face
was lit up up after the golden calf and the writing of the 2nd
tablets. It is interesting to note that there are 17 more words in the second
tablets than the first tablets (go check them out in Exodus20:2-14 and
Dueteronomy 5:6-18). 17 is the gematria of the word Tov (9+6+2). The first time the
word Tov is found in the Torah it is a reference to the great light that Hashem
created in the world on the first day of creation. That light our sages tell us
was too great too be revealed and was hidden away for the righteous. Rav Tzadok
HaKohein suggests that it was that light that was hidden in the tablets Hashem
had written as man had achieved the ultimate state of revelation. When Moshe
carved the second tablets that light was not put into it. Instead of the light
words took their place. We would have to struggle to understand and connect,
rather than just tap into the light. What happened to the light? The Tov? The
17? It remained with Moshe. So he shined. Interesting as well that when Moshe
was born they saw that he was Tov- Rashi there notes the whole house was filled
with light! Now you know why..

Isvei Kedem/Herbs of Kedem-Moshav Carmel, Hebron Hills- For all you inspired readers or naturopaths or
people that just get a kick out of tapping into the ancient wisdom of the holy
spices and therapuitic value of our ancestors (like my wife) than Isvei Kedem
is the place you want to visit. Started by Dr. Amir Kitron in 1996 herbs of
Kedem was founded with the idea that the unique natural conditions of Israel as
well as the Dead Sea area are ideal in producing the best and totally natural
remedies, skin and beauty care products without anysynthetic ingredients or preservatives. Utilizing
much of the wisdom of Jewish sources as well as traditional herbal recipes and
secrets that have been passed down generations. Approved by all the major
Commerce and health orgainzations they offer a money back guarantee on their
products (which can be purchased on line as well). A visit to their center and
factory will get you a tour and explanation of their plant and products as well
as some samples and a delicious tea as well. Best of all its free!

****************************************

RABBI SCHWARTZ' S EXAM ANSWER OF THE WEEK

Answer is C:The Iron age is pretty
much the period of when our forefathers left Egypt and first inhabited the land
as a nation. This includes the period of the judges and the first kings of
Israel. It is in this period that we find the proliferation of water cisterns
in the land. The difference between a well and a cistern is that a well taps
into underground water system, whereas a cistern is a means of collecting a preserving
the water that falls in the winter to last for the other seasons. It is done by
plastering the inside of the cistern as well as digging it in a strategic
location, preferably at the bottom of a hill range where the rain that falls
can be directed into the cistern. The other periods are all before the Jewish people
came to Israel asn we know that nothing really important happened until we got
hereJ

1 comment:

About Me

Hi, thanks for popping in. I am a recent Oleh. My wife Aliza and children Shani, Yonah, Rivkah, Elka and Tully recently moved to Karmiel Israel from Seattle Washington where we used to have a little Shul in our home the West Seattle TLC (Torah Learning Center). I have been involved in Jewish educational outreach for over 15 years. Originally a Detroiter, we have been lucky enough to live in Midwood New York, Des Moines Iowa, Norfolk Virginia and Seattle. I'm just a down to earth guy who would rather talk in the front of the shul than the back so i became a Rabbi where that becomes your job. I love Jews,Stories, Israel, and chulent. Recently we opened up the Young Israel of Karmiel and look forward to greeting the many North American and Anglo Olim who will join us here in the beautiful Galil.
Please comment away I thrive on your input. Thanks!

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